Civil Servants Will Be Able to Combine Service with Study: The Cabinet Introduces Dual Education

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has updated the professional training system for civil servants, local government officials, and heads of local state administrations. By Resolution No. 896, dated 8 July 2026, the government amended the Regulation on the professional training system, adapting it to current higher education legislation and modern approaches to training management personnel.

The resolution came into force on 11 July 2026, the day after its official publication. One of the key innovations was the official introduction of the dual form of education for master's students specialising in "Public Administration and Management."

Sudovo-Yurydychna Hazeta analysed the new institutional requirements set by the document and the implications for civil servants.

Study Without Interrupting Service

The document does not impose new training obligations on all civil servants but updates the mechanism for obtaining a master's degree in "Public Administration and Management" and establishes new standards for organising professional development.

The Regulation was supplemented by a new clause 8-1, which provides for the possibility of obtaining a master's degree using a dual form of education. This model combines theoretical training at a higher education institution with practical training directly at the workplace. The training must consider the employee's official duties, assigned tasks, and key performance indicators of effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of official activities, if established.

Thus, a civil servant's practical activities become part of the educational process, and the knowledge gained during training can be immediately applied while performing official functions.

The State Body Becomes a University Partner

Another important change concerns the organisation of the educational process itself. According to the new rules, workplace training will be conducted based on an agreement between the educational institution and the state body or local government body. This agreement will determine the procedure for organising practical training. At the same time, the employer will be obliged to create conditions for the employee to fulfil the individual training plan according to the agreement.

Effectively, the state body becomes a full participant in the educational process, and professional activities are integrated with training.

The Cabinet Harmonised Master's Training Procedures with the Law "On Higher Education"

The resolution also clarifies the procedure for obtaining a master's degree in "Public Administration and Management." It now explicitly states that training is conducted in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On Higher Education," higher education standards, educational-professional programmes, and the Admission Procedure approved by Cabinet Resolution No. 789.

Thus, the government harmonised the professional training system for civil servants with the general rules governing the higher education system.

New Requirements for Professional Development Providers

Significant changes also affect organisations that provide professional development for civil servants. New clause 8-2 of the Regulation requires educational service providers to have their own website or, if none exists, to post information on the founder's website.

Additionally, they must ensure constant updating of information about their professional training activities. This primarily concerns transparency regarding professional development programmes, educational services, and other training activities. In fact, the Cabinet introduced additional transparency requirements for professional training providers.

Who the Changes Affect

The updated rules apply to civil servants, heads of local state administrations, first deputies and deputies of heads of local state administrations, local government officials, and local council deputies. These categories undergo professional training according to the Regulation amended by the government.

What the Resolution Means in Practice

The adopted changes do not introduce a new professional education system but significantly change its implementation mechanism. For the first time, the use of dual education for future masters in public administration is regulated at the normative level. This will allow combining academic training with practical work in state bodies without interrupting service.

Moreover, the Cabinet raised transparency requirements for professional development providers and aligned the professional training procedure with the provisions of the Law of Ukraine "On Higher Education." These changes are expected to promote more practical training of management personnel and make the professional training system for civil servants more modern, open, and aligned with European approaches.

What Will Change for Civil Servants

The resolution does not alter the admission procedure for master's programmes in public administration but significantly changes the training model itself. Previously, the focus was primarily on classroom sessions; now, the government has officially integrated the dual education format into the professional training system. This means that civil servants will be able to combine study with performing official duties and immediately apply their acquired knowledge at work.

However, this model entails additional organisational requirements. For workplace training, the educational institution and the state or local government body must enter into a separate agreement. The employer must also provide the trainee with the opportunity to fulfil their individual training plan. Furthermore, the training must consider the civil servant's official duties, as well as assigned tasks and key performance indicators of effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of official activities, if established.

New Requirements for Training Providers

The resolution also strengthens requirements for entities providing professional development for civil servants. Henceforth, each educational service provider must have its own website. If such a resource does not exist, information about its activities must be posted on the founder's official website.

Ukrainian providers have a separate obligation to keep this information up to date. In particular, information about educational activities and professional development programmes must be publicly available. Thus, the state makes the professional training system more open and transparent, allowing state bodies and trainees to assess the quality of educational services even before training commences.

It is expected that this model will enable the combination of acquiring modern management knowledge with practical work in state authorities and local self-government bodies, as well as making the educational services market for civil servants more transparent and competitive.

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